


Missing Pieces

by babytobin_horse



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:52:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2417357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babytobin_horse/pseuds/babytobin_horse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you fall for the right person, all the pieces usually fall into place. It might be a bit of a problem when some pieces aren't there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was nothing like the hot sun kissing her skin, the smell of grass and sweat mixed together and the feeling of a ball at her feet...and young teenaged girls running around.

Tobin watched as her group of fourteen-year-old girls dribbled in and out of cones before taking a shot on goal. She loved her part time job, she really did. It worked perfectly with her work schedule and it kept her close to the sport she loved. It was as close to playing as she’d ever be able to get anymore.

“Don’t lean back so much,” Tobin instructed a few feet away from the goal. “That’s why your shots are going so high.”

She watched as the young girl nodded and jogged off to retrieve her ball. Tobin checked her watch, letting two more girls go through the drill once again before blowing her whistle.

“Okay girls, on the line!” she called out, biting back a smile as she heard the collective grunts and groans of the tired girls. “You know the routine,” she reminded them, slowly walking towards the center of the field.

“It’s so hot though,” one girl complained, and Tobin whipped up to see a pout on Lucy’s face.

She let out a soft chuckle, allowing a small smirk to reside on her face. “Does that mean you want an extra lap, kiddo?”

Lucy’s bright, blue eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. “No Coach! Not at all!”

“Good!” Tobin grinned, bringing the whistle back up to her lips. “Las Vegas 6, don’t make your teammates hate you. Go!” She blew the whistle and watched her girls take off, trying to pace their sprints.

“Sometimes I feel like you do too much to these girls,” Heather commented, half teasing as she approached Tobin.

Tobin rolled her eyes, beginning to pick up the cones on the side. “Like you’re not any harder on your girls HAO.”

“There’s a reason our U15 and U16 girls are always in the top rankings,” the older woman reminded her with a knowing smile.

A grin found Tobin’s lips as she looked up to meet her fellow coach’s eyes. She liked Heather. They’d practically grown up together and had even played in college together. Heather had played professional soccer for a few years before decided to settle down and having a family. Now, a few years later, she was one of the head coaches for a girls’ club in Portland. Somehow, Tobin - known to be a wanderer for a couple of years - found herself in Portland as well, and as soon as Heather found out, she offered her a coaching job on the spot. It took Tobin some thinking, but she gave in anyway. The game had at one point been her life - her reason for living and breathing. It was taken away from her, but now she was given a chance at it again.

“50 seconds gone!” Tobin called out, gathering the last of her cones together as she watched the girls push themselves even harder. “Beat the girl next to you!”

She missed it. She missed pushing herself so hard that some days she’d collapse. She missed taking shot after shot until her legs couldn’t place themselves properly any longer. She missed the sweat dripping down her body because of the sun beating down on her while she struggled to catch her breath. She never thought she’d miss the pain. But yet, there she was wanting her glory days back.

She watched as each girl collapsed onto the ground or clung on to the goal post as they finished their six sets of sprints. As the last girl crossed the end line, Tobin glanced down at her watch, making a face.

“How bad is it, Coach?” one girl asked, her hands up behind her head as she tried to catch her breath.

“It could’ve been better,” Tobin admitted. “Get down and give me 45.”

“That was a minute forty-five?” another screeched. “Are you kidding me?”

“I know you wish I was,” Tobin grinned. “45 push-ups and we’ll cool down. Then you’re out of here.”

The girls all let out their share of exhausted moans before catching their breaths and beginning to do their share of push-ups for the session. Tobin smiled softly, taking the cones back into her bag and tossing them in.

“Be lucky you didn’t have Coach HAO today,” Tobin called out to her girls. “I hear she made the U16s do three rounds of suicides.”

Heather heard the comment and rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t that bad,” she insisted. “The girls managed to get through it.”

“Half dead,” Tobin snorted, closing her bag and walking over to the girls slowly.

Most of them were either on their stomachs or backs breathing heavily. She waited for the last ones to finish up before getting the girls to gather around and do their own stretches as she reminded them of their upcoming game and important details.

“All right, good job today kids,” Tobin clapped her hands together. “Finish up your stretches and you’re good to go. See ya punks!”

She slowly walked away from them, gathering the last of her equipment and putting them all in the bag. She left out a soccer ball that rolled a few feet away from her.

“Bye Coach!” the girls called out as they each left the field.

“Bye!” she managed to respond, leaning on the fence to make sure she was able to see them all go.

Tobin’s phone began buzzing in her soccer bag and she dug around to find it. Once she was able to fish it out, she answered. “Sup?”

“Tell me you’re not busy tonight!” her friend demanded on the other end.

The brunette chuckled softly, shaking her head. “What’s up, Mana?”

“Come out tonight with us!” the small hawaiian pleaded. “It’s been awhile since you’ve tagged along.”

“I went with you guys last week!” Tobin reminded her, laughing.

“But Tobin,” Mana whined. “You’re always busy.”

“I’m sorry dude,” Tobin offered, though she wasn’t really sorry. She glanced at the field, noticing most everybody left already. “I’ve already got plans.”

“With who? Doing what?”

The brunette smiled, stretching her leg to reach the ball that had rolled away. “Spending some alone time with the Big Man and some goals.”

 

-

 

Maybe Alex had one - or three - too many drinks. She wasn’t really sure why she was drinking so much in the first place. She thought it was a good idea at first. A trip to the bar after work and a day off the next day sounded safe enough. Except for the part where Sydney left halfway through the night. At this point Alex was abandoned and way too drunk to get herself home. She gulped down the last of whatever drink she had in her hand - she didn’t even know what she was ordering anymore - and slammed the glass on the table.

“I wanna ‘nother one!” she slurred to the bartender, gripping the counter to keep her in her seat.

“Woah slow down there,” a voice came from her side. “You’ve been going hard since I’ve been here.”

Alex’s eyebrows furrowed together. It wasn’t Sydney, she had left maybe an hour ago. She didn’t recognize the voice at all. She turned her head to face a woman shorter than her with a face covered in freckles. _Cute_ was the first word that came to her mind.

“I’m fine,” Alex insisted, squinting at the stranger next to her.

The other woman nodded slowly, a slightly amused expression on her face. “Sure you are,” she said before taking a sip of her own drink.

“Why d’you care anyway?” the blue-eyed woman asked, squinting at her. “Who even are you?”

“I’d want someone to stop me before I drank too much and did something I regret. Especially if I were as hot as you,” the freckled woman shrugged, a small smirk on her face.

Alex raised an eyebrow. She had no clue who this person was, but she wanted to know more. Though she didn’t enjoy how this person thought she knew how much alcohol she could and couldn’t take. “Dave, gimme more!” she demanded, sliding her shot glass over. She shot a glare at the girl next to her.

The woman put up her hands in surrender as Alex was handed back her shot glass. “To each her own,” she said, slowly picking up her drink and taking another sip.

There was something about the woman that intrigued Alex, and twenty minutes later later she was giggling a little too hard with this unnamed stranger. It was the first time in awhile that she’d been able to let loose with someone besides her best friend. They were both drinking, having a good time and honestly not giving a damn.

“Okay, it’s time to get you home,” the freckled woman announced.

“Nooo!” Alex whined, a huge pout on her face. “I’m having fun!”

The smaller one laughed, her face a rosy red. She hadn’t had nearly as much as Alex did, and she knew it was time to stop. “We can have fun another night. How’s that? I’ll call us a cab and get you home.”

“Fuck you,” Alex glared, crossing her arms. She momentarily lost her balance, causing her to begin sliding off her chair.

Luckily, the stranger caught her and kept her upright. “Yeah, let’s get that cab.”

“Whatever,” the taller woman mumbled, rolling her eyes.

 

The two were still giggling and slurring in the cab shortly after. The freckled woman’s arm kept brushing Alex’s, and it sent chills up her spine. She was nowhere near her right mind, but Alex didn’t mind it one bit. She was in a cab with a cute girl and she’d be damned if she didn’t enjoy it. It had been awhile since she’d been with someone. She wasn’t even looking for a relationship at the moment. All she wanted was fun. And this freckled stranger was bringing it to her.

“Oh shit,” the stranger laughed, her hand squeezing Alex’s knee. “I think I have work tomorrow.”

Alex almost jumped at the sudden contact, but played it off by laughing along. “You think?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Don’t care. Fuck work.”

Something about this girl made Alex want more with every second that passed. She didn’t care about much, but somehow managed to care enough. Alex wasn’t even sure that made sense, but in her drunken haze it did and that was all that really mattered. The cab came to a stop in front of Alex’s house, and Alex’s smile faltered a little. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the girl she’d only met hours ago.

“Will I ever get your name or is this just a one time thing?” Alex asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.

The stranger looked at her, a smoldering look in her eyes. “It depends.” Her hand was still on Alex’s leg and it was burning the blue-eyed woman’s skin.

Alex looked at the freckled woman in confused, but then her eyes widened and she pressed her legs together. “Come with me,” she almost growled.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank fucking God I don’t have work_ , Alex thought as her head thumped against her pillow. She groaned softly, pressing a hand to her head in attempts to make it stop. Her blinds were shut, but the sun was still attempting to peep through, letting Alex know it was day time. She turned on her side as the events of the previous night returned to her memory slowly. As she recalled everything that happened after getting out of the cab, she blinked a few times to get her vision somewhat cleared before slowly turning around. She met empty sheets.

_Kelley._

“Shit!” Alex hissed, flopping onto her back.

It was a mistake as Alex’s head only pounded harder than it had moments before. She holds it, squeezing her eyes shut. She had a cute girl. She’d gotten her name. And now she was met with what she should’ve expected. She wasn’t that surprised about Kelley, really. She seemed like a carefree girl from the start. Alex saw the one night stand procedure coming in the back of her mind, but yet she was still slightly disappointed in the outcome. She let out a long sigh, massaging her temples.

Once she’d figured she’d be able to move without collapsing onto the floor, Alex gingerly slid out of bed, tying her hair up in a bun as best she could. The woman scavenged around for at least a t-shirt and some pants she could pull on. She blew the extra strands of hair away from her face before slowly stumbling out of her room, down the hall and into the kitchen to make herself some coffee in attempts to wake herself up. Maybe orange juice would be a good alternative too. She almost tripped over her own two feet when she heard the sound of her coffee maker followed by a spoon clanging against the insides of a cup.

Someone was in her kitchen making coffee. Alex’s heart beat increased, anxious of what she’d find if she took a few more steps. Slowly, she stepped forward and peered around the corner.

What she found was Kelley standing in front of two cups filled with coffee. The freckled woman was stirring in one cup, her hair still a frazzled mess from last night’s events with her shoulders slightly hunched over. Alex quirked an eyebrow. Something told her staying over the next morning for coffee with the person she just slept with wasn’t Kelley’s thing.

“Hey,” she greeted, walking into the kitchen as if the image didn’t bother her. Her voice said differently though. It sounded guarded.

Kelley turned to see Alex slowly walking in. She offered a casual nod. “Hey, you’re up.”

“And you’re making us coffee…” Alex stated, giving her a strange look.

The older woman raised an eyebrow, bringing the mug up to her lips. “What? Not used to seeing your hook ups the morning after?” she asked before taking a sip.

The blue-eyed woman let out a short laugh, crossing her arms. “Something tells me you’re usually far gone by now.”

“You caught me,” Kelley admitted with a shrug. A slight smirk appeared on her lips. “but I’m here.”

“Yeah,” Alex could only echo.

She didn’t know what kind of game Kelley was playing. She didn’t even know if Kelley was trying to play any games. They barely knew each other, yet Kelley stood in Alex’s kitchen as if it was a routine. Strangely enough, Alex didn’t mind this situation at all. It’d been awhile since her last real relationship, and she wasn’t going to lead herself to believe that this could turn into something real and serious; she knew much better than that. Having someone around who was more than just a quick fuck was...refreshing.

“So…” Kelley drew out. “How do you like your coffee?”

A smile found a place on Alex’s face.

 

-

 

“I really hate surfing here,” the small hawaiian whined as she and Tobin dropped their boards and took a seat on the damp sand.

Tobin offered a slight chuckle, shaking her head. “Not everyone’s had the pleasure of riding the Hawaiian waves on a daily.”

Mana looked up at her cheekily with a smile. “I’ll take you one day.”

“I’m holding you to that,” the older woman grinned before turning to face the waves. “Oregon’s water scene isn’t that bad.”

She watched as the waves crashed onto the shore. The beach was one of Tobin’s favorite places to be. She didn’t mind getting sand in between her toes, but her favorite part was riding the waves and being able to lose herself for awhile. It was the next best thing to soccer for her, and when she didn’t have soccer, she had surfing.

She didn’t have soccer for a long time, actually. That’s when surfing became the one peaceful thing she could do without all her thoughts getting in the way. It was the one time and place she could forget about everything - past and present - and really enjoy the feeling of moving across the water. It freed her from everything holding her down. She was free on the water, free in a way she could never be again in soccer.

Mana looked at her friend. Tobin’s eyes were getting glassy and were slightly narrowed. Her brows were furrowed together and she was chewing her bottom lip. She knew that look too well. She’d only met Tobin when she moved to Portland, but she’d been able to find out a lot of things. She was actually one of the only people who didn’t know Tobin for years that knew actually knew her deep history. She was one of the people Tobin opened up to - maybe the only one since she moved to Portland.

“You’re thinking about it again,” Mana accused quietly, knowing it was still a subject hard for Tobin to talk to with anyone, especially someone she’d met only a couple of years ago.

Tobin took a deep breath and nodded in response. “Yeah.” She shook her head slightly, trying to get herself to snap out of it. Closing her eyes for a few minutes, she forced herself to calm down by taking a few more deep breaths.

“I’m going to catch a few more waves,” she announced suddenly before standing up. “You down?”

Mana looked at her for a moment before shaking her head. “I think I’ll just watch this time around,” she answered with a small smile. She knew Tobin needed time alone with the waves. She let her friend do her own thing in her own way.

Tobin nodded gratefully, knowing Mana in her special way understood. “I won’t take long.”

“Take your time,” the younger woman insisted. “It’s gonna take awhile before you even get on my level,” she teased.

It got Tobin to laugh, making the older woman ease up already. “Whatever you say.”

-

 

A little over two weeks had come and gone since finding Kelley in her kitchen, and Alex was still seeing her. It wasn’t that she was the type of person to constantly hook up with random people and not bother seeing them again. She did see people, but it wasn’t the way she was with Kelley. Even though the first time they met they hooked up, it wasn’t just seeing each other just to have sex. They got to know each other very well. It was stable and relieving to finally be able to just be with someone without worrying about anything. They went out on dates, but also sometimes just stayed at home with each other. It was growing into something more, and the idea excited Alex.

“Fuck this movie,” Kelley groaned. “It’s the same shit.” She flopped sideways so she was laying down on the couch, her feet sliding onto Alex’s lap.

Alex laughed. “You picked it out,” she reminded the smaller woman.

Kelley rolled her eyes. “I only picked it out because you looked like you wanted to watch it.”

“And you’re the cutest for that,” Alex promised with a sweet smile. “Now shut up and watch the movie.”

The freckled woman let out another groan as a pout formed on her lips. Silence fell between them as Alex focused her attention on the movie once again. She could feel Kelley staring at her, and it took a lot not to turn and give her the attention she knew Kelley wanted. Alex was still getting used to her. Kelley tended to be intense when she was triggered - and it seemed like she was triggered all the time around Alex. Not that it was a bad thing.

“Stop looking at me,” Alex said, eyes still on the movie.

Kelley’s lips formed into a smirk. “Babe.”

“No.”

“Baby look at me.”

“Shut up Kel.”

“Alex.”  
“Watch the movie.”

“Alexandra,” Kelley said, leaning up to pull Alex towards her.

Alex lost her balance and ended up falling on top of Kelley. A position she didn’t mind, really. “Yes, Kelley?”

“This movie’s stupid,” she mumbled, her eyes gazing down at Alex’s lips. “Fuck it.”

“Fuck you.”

“Gladly,” Kelley snickered, leaning up to press her lips against Alex’s.

Alex pressed her body against Kelley’s, her hands trailing down her sides until they found her hips. She gripped them tightly as she reciprocated the kiss. Just as Kelley’s hands began to rome, Alex’s cell phone rang from the table.

“Don’t answer it,” Kelley murmured in between kisses, her hands still traveling as they pleased.

Alex sighed, forcing herself to pull away. “What if it’s important?” She kissed Kelley’s nose when a pout found the older woman’s face. “It’ll be fast I promise.” She reached over and grabbed her phone, looking at the caller ID. “SHIT!” she screamed, sliding to answer so quickly she almost dropped the phone on Kelley.

“What?” Kelley asked, a concerned look taking over her features.

“Lucy?!” Alex exclaimed, sitting up properly.

“Alex?” a younger girl on the other end said. “Where are you?”

“Oh yeah, I’m on the way,” she lied, hopping off the couch and grabbing her purse. “I’m sorry I’m late. Dinner ran a little longer than expected,” she explained quickly. “I’ll be there soon I promise. I’m so sorry. Love you Luce,” she said before hanging up.

“What happened?” Kelley asked, also getting up from her position on the couch.

Alex tossed her phone in her purse and dug around for her keys. “I was supposed to pick up my neice after soccer practice today! Her practice ended like fifteen minutes ago! Oh god my sister’s going to kill me! Oh god! I’m so sorry Kelley,” she apologized, pulling out her keys. “I’ll call you after I get Lucy home. I can’t believe I forgot, I’m the-”

In the midst of Alex’s rambling, Kelley grabbed her sides and pulled her close. “Calm down. You’ll be there soon. It was an accident; it happens. And...who really keeps track of time when you’re with someone as hot as me?” she joked.

Alex laughed, being able to relax a little bit. “Full of it.”

“Only because I get to spend my time with you,” she cheekily replied, pecking her lips. “I’ll see you soon.”

The taller woman rushed out the door and to her car. “Oh god, I hope she’s not alone,” she worriedly muttered.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Tobin watched as one of her players hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. Practice had ended fifteen minutes ago and Lucy was the last player left. She’d made the girl call her ride to make sure she was on the way.

“She’s coming,” Lucy told her coach. “She’s doesn’t really pick me up often during the summer, but she’s usually never this late.”

Tobin shrugged and offered a pat on the back. “Things happen, kiddo. Being late every once in awhile doesn’t kill you.”

“I guess so,” Lucy nodded. “but I feel like you have better things to do the wait around with me. You can go, you know.”

“Not really,” Tobin chuckled, shaking her head. “I can’t leave you here without any adult supervision. And I suppose you’re kind of cool.” It made the girl laugh and Tobin smiled, knowing it was taking the worry off of her.

“Thanks Coach,” Lucy smiled. “You’re kinda cool too.”

“And I think you meant to add ‘best coach ever’.” They both shared another laugh before Tobin asked, “you wanna play some one-on-one while we wait? It’ll make time go faster.”

“You’re gonna kick my butt!” Lucy exclaimed, her blonde ponytail whipping around quickly.

“I’ll go easy on you,” Tobin promised, standing up. “If you win, I’ll cover your snacks for our next game.”

Lucy’s blue eyes brightened at the suggestion. “You’re on!”

 

-

 

15 miles over the limit wasn’t bad - she had done worse. At least that’s what Alex kept telling herself the whole ride to the fields. It was dark and the field lights were on by the time she pulled in and she cursed herself again for forgetting. She was surprised her sister hadn’t called to check up on them. Then again, her sister was running late today so she had to pick Lucy up. Alex quickly pulled into the first parking spot she found and hopped out of the car. There hadn’t been any calls from Lucy, or any replies to the texts Alex had sent.

“Where the hell is she?” Alex muttered to herself when she didn’t see Lucy hanging out at the edge of the parking lot. She immediately swiped her phone and dialed Lucy’s number.

She approached the field, noticing the stadium lights were still on and there were figures moving around it, a ball keeper their attention. The woman laughed softly, immediately recognizing the blonde ponytail as her niece, but she wasn’t sure who was with her. As she got closer to the field, she was able to see a woman around her age playing soccer with Lucy. Her sandy brown hair was loosely held in a ponytail and her skin was tanned from time spent in the sun.

The more steps she took towards the gates of the field, the more she could make out the woman’s features. The killer for Alex was the huge smile she couldn’t seem to wipe off. It was contagious and perfect and...pretty damn attractive. Just like the rest of her.

Wait, what?

Leaning against the top of the gate, she watched for a few more moments. Lucy and the woman were laughing as they went one-on-one, trying to get to the goal first. She was mostly mesmerized by the woman’s skills - and looks. The way she effortlessly controlled the ball at her feet convinced Alex she entered the world with a soccer ball attached. She read Lucy so well and added in a few clever moves that it was endlessly entertaining. Alex could honestly watch her for hours.

“Alex!”

Alex almost jumped at the sound of her name, but turned her sights away from the woman to see Lucy surprised to see her. “Hey Luce, I’m so sorry I’m late!”

At the sound of Alex’s voice, the women stopped dribbling and looked up with the ball stopped under her foot. “You’re lucky your aunt’s here now. I would’ve totally gotten in a few more goals on you.”

The young blonde laughed, shaking her head. “So unfair. You’re my coach. Obviously you’d win.”

At the sound of this, Alex’s eyebrows slightly raised. Wasn’t she too young to be an actual Coach? Most of Lucy’s coaches that she’d encountered were maybe thirty and older. This one definitely looked younger than that.

“You’re just mad you don’t get snacks from me next game,” she pointed out, rolling the ball onto the top of her foot and then kicking it up into her hands. “You’ll get better than me one day,” she promised before making her way over.

Tobin tried her best not to give the newcomer a good once over. Her facial features were enough to make Tobin’s jaw drop. With her straight seemingly naturally highlighted hair falling perfectly around her face and her bright blue eyes gazing at Tobin intensely, it made her legs quiver slightly. She somehow managed to keep her cool as she approached the beauty.

“Hi, you must be Lucy’s aunt,” she said, tucking the ball under her arm. She wanted to hit herself for being so stupid. _Of course she’s her aunt._

“Yeah that’s me,” the blue-eyed woman replied. “But you can call me Alex.” The rasp in her voice was something Tobin wanted to hear again and again.

“I’m Tobin,” she replied, sticking her hand out. “Lucy’s coach.”

Alex leaned a bit of her weight over the gate and reached out to shake Tobin’s hand. The maple honey eyes she was staring into were giving her a warm feeling and suddenly she didn’t want to let go.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said once she was able to find her words again, pulling her hand away slowly. “I’m really sorry about being late,” she immediately apologized.

Tobin shook her head slowly, unable to contain the smile that found her features when she saw how genuine Alex seemed to be. “Don’t worry about it. We had fun while we waited. Right Lucy?”

The blonde paused from sliding off her cleats to give her a look. “You had fun kicking my butt.”

Tobin chuckled. “Same thing, kiddo. You loved it.”

“Sure,” Lucy grumbled, but neither adult was paying attention to her as their attention was on each other.

Alex still felt uneasy about leaving the woman to stay later than she needed. “No really, I feel terrible. I’m sure you had other plans. I’m so sorry.”

Being slightly amused by Alex’s need to continue apologizing, Tobin pretended to think about it for a moment. “Now that you’re mentioning it, I guess I had some plans earlier. You might owe me for that.”

The blue-eyed woman’s eyebrows quirked up at the words coming out of the other woman’s mouth. She tried to hide her smile when she saw the smug look on woman’s face. “Well,” Alex played along, still leaning her weight on the top of the fence. “How would I ever do that?”

Tobin bit her lip, pretending to ponder the idea for a moment. The gesture made Alex lean on the fence for more support.

“Alex, are we going?” Lucy asked, appearing by Alex’s side. The girl had her big soccer bag on her back and looked unamused by the two’s conversation since they weren’t even concerned about her.

“Oh,” Alex nodded, holding up her keys. “You can go ahead and put your stuff in the car,” she suggested, tossing the keys towards her niece. “I’ll be there in a second.”

The young girl caught the keys and gave the two adults a weird look before shrugging and trudging off to the car. Both adults turned back to each other, the air slightly shifted with the interruption that had just occurred. Alex leaned away from the fence, running a hand through her hair.

“I should probably get going. I have to get Lucy home.”

Tobin nodded slowly, wishing she could spend a little bit longer with this stranger. “Yeah...it was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Alex nodded, meaning it in every way. “You have a good night.”

“Same to you.” The shared a slightly awkward smile before Alex began to walk away. Tobin watched her for a moment longer before calling out, “Alex!”

“Yeah?” she turned around, a few yards away now.

“Pick Lucy up on time and maybe we can figure out a way for you to repay me,” Tobin told her with a slight smile. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants with a sheepish look on her face.

Alex couldn’t help but smile in return. “We’ll see.”

 

-

 

“I can’t believe I agreed to do that stupid spinning class with you,” Alex groaned, pulling on a fresh t-shirt on.

Sydney laughed, tossing an empty bottle of water at her. “You love it,” she insisted.

The two continued their antics as they both gathered their things and walked out of the locker room of the gym. Alex checked her phone for any new messages and couldn’t help but smile when she saw three from Kelley. Sydney saw the smile and rolled her eyes.

“How’s your girlfriend?” she asked, baiting Alex.

The blue-eye woman scoffed, taking her eyes off her phone to give Sydney a look. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Her friend rolled her eyes and muttered, “Could’ve fooled me.”

Alex quickly typed a reply to Kelley before looking back at Sydney. “What? I’m not allowed to be happy to talk to someone?”

Sydney put her hands up as if she was surrendering, walking through the door Alex held open for her as they made their way to the sidewalk. “I’m just saying, Alex. You spend a lot of time with her. You haven’t been able to talk to a girl for this long in a while. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I think it’s cute.”

Alex let out a soft chuckle, offering a small shrug. “We’re not like...dating officially or anything. We just like spending time together.”

“And hooking up,” Sydney added, laughing as her best friend’s cheeks turned into a tinted pink. “You can’t hide anything from me.”

“Shut up,” Alex mumbled, rolling her eyes as her phone beeped. She glanced at it for a moment before looking back up as they neared their cars.

Sydney quirked an eyebrow. “Not gonna answer that text?”

“Nah,” Alex shrugged, pulling out her car keys. “She’s not my girlfriend, she can wait.”

Sydney let out a laugh, shaking her head.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The city night lights passed by in bright blurs as Alex looked out of the window of the passenger’s seat. She sat in the car, content after a nice dinner with Kelley. The two were now on their way to a club Sydney had suggested to Alex a few nights ago. Alex’s dark blue dress hugged her tightly and she tugged down at it just a little to cover the skin that shouldn’t have been exposed. Not that it really mattered, Kelley had seen every part of her.

Alex’s gaze shifted from the window to Kelley, who seemed very focused on driving and making sure they didn’t get lost. It was adorable, really. Her brows were furrowed in slight concentration with her eyes darting to the GPS on her phone every few minutes. The glow of the lights coming from the streets happened to only shine on the central part of her face. They made Kelley’s freckles more obvious than usual, especially on the bridge of her nose. Overall, the woman next to Alex looked flawless and stunning in her dark green dress that made her hazel eyes flare. If there was one word Alex needed to describe herself in the situation, it’d be _lucky_.

“What? What are you looking at?” Kelley asked, looking at Alex for a moment after feeling her stare.

Alex blushed slightly, surprised she’d been caught in the act. A sheepish smile graced her lips  as she looked down for a moment. “Nothing. You’re just...gorgeous.”  
The freckled woman let out a soft laugh. “You look better,” she stated, giving Alex a long look before returning her eyes to the road. She was slowing the car down as soon as she saw the club down the street. “You’re lucky I haven’t ripped that dress off yet,” she adds in a low grumble.

The younger woman laughs, rolling her eyes. She pretends she doesn’t get excited at the thought. “Slow down there, babe. We still have a night of clubbing ahead.”

“Clubbing or no clubbing you’re coming home with me,” Kelley demands, looking over at her passenger with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Alex knew as soon as they entered that club, there was no concept for personal space between the two of them.

“I think I’ll be okay with that.”

 

Hours later, Alex was yet again at the bar. Kelley had finally been able to pull herself away from Alex and wobble to the restroom. Alex had contemplated going with her, but decided she needed another drink. Not that she hadn’t had enough - she’d had plenty - but the bartender thought she was hot and therefore continued to give her and Kelley drinks for free.

“Back for another?” he laughed, watching Alex fumble onto the bar stool.

Alex nodded eagerly, holding onto the bar to keep her balance. “Hell yeaaah! I’m nowhere near done yet!”

The bartender chuckled again, sliding over a drink at Alex’s request. He watched her eye it with squinted eyes, then shrug and chug it down in one go. She let out a cheer and slammed the glass onto the surface of the bar.

“Fuck! That one was really strong!” she exclaimed, closing her eyes for a moment. She blinked a few times before engaging in a conversation with the bartender. She yelled out her responses and laughed when she probably wouldn’t have sober, but it didn’t matter to her. She was always like this drunk; even more so now because she was spending her time with Kelley.

“Found you!” Kelley announced, leaning against the bar and facing Alex.

Alex’s eyes widened as she clumsily grabbed her arm. “Kel, you have to try this drink! It’s so strong, but really good!”

The older woman laughed, still not used to drunken Alex. “I think I’ll pass babe,” she told her knowing one of them had to stay sober to get them home.

A pout found Alex’s lips. “Kelleeeeeeeey.”

“I need to get us home,” Kelley reminded her. Just as it looked like Alex was about to ask for another drink she spoke again. “Maybe it’s better if we go now.”

“But I want another drink!”

Kelley shook her head, helping Alex off of her seat. “C’mon baby, let’s go back to my place.”

“I’m still having fun!” Alex argued, trying to pull away from Kelley. Drunk Alex was no match for a mainly sober Kelley, though. She could squirm all she wanted, but there was no use.

“Al, Alex! Alex, stay still!” Kelley grunted, trying to keep her in place. Though Alex wasn’t at her full strength, she did tend to move a lot, troubling Kelley for a bit. Finally, the smaller woman stopped trying to control Alex’s arms and instead grabbed her hips, tugging her close. The movement caused Alex to freeze, her breath hitched. Their bodies were pressed up against each other just as they had been before Kelley had parted for the restroom.

“Hi,” Alex breathed out, staring down at Kelley.

“Hey,” Kelley whispered back. Her lips brushed against Alex’s earlobe, sending chills down the blue-eyed woman’s spine. “Let’s go back to my place now, okay?”

“O-okay,” Alex nodded, closing her eyes. She had half the mind to drag Kelley back to the restroom right now.

Kelley half-smirked and half-smiled, pulling away slowly. “Thank you,” she mumbled, going in to leave a slow kiss on Alex’s lips. Yet Alex pulled away at the last possible minute. She looked at the girl with a quirked eyebrow.

“You wanted to get us home first, didn’t you?” Alex reminded her, brushing her fingers along Kelley’s bare arm.

Kelley glared at her. “You’re a fucking tease when you’re drunk, you know that?”

Alex giggled. “Maybe.”

There was a newfound determination in Kelley as she grabbed Alex’s hand, leading her drunk date out of the club and to the car where they’d last left it. She quickly ushered Alex in and hopped into the driver’s seat, revving the engine so fast that Alex was convinced they started accelerating as soon as they got in. She watched the freckled woman drive rather quickly. One hand on the steering wheel and the other gripping the gear shift so tightly it looked like it was about to break. Alex’s eyes wandered back to Kelley’s hand on the steering wheel and noticed her white knuckles.

Kelley was pissed. And honestly, it looked really hot. Alex gulped and pressed her legs together, grateful for the fact Kelley seemed to be eager to get home.

 

-

 

“Look wide! Spread out!” Tobin yelled from the sideline as she watched her players scrimmage at the end of a grueling practice for the girls.

The sun was slowly setting behind the field and Tobin watched it momentarily. She loved evenings like this. The girls seemed to be happy, she was happy and God had blessed her with this opportunity. She turned attention back to the girls for another moment, watching one of them go for a slide tackle and chuckled before picking up the equipment they used earlier. Once she gathered all the cones she tossed them into the bag leaning between the fence and the bench.

“You’re training them like champs,” a voice came from the other side of the fence.

Tobin slightly jumped, looking up. To her pleasant surprise, she didn’t imagine the raspy voice that she’d heard moments ago. She stood up properly and gave Alex one of her notorious big smiles. “You’re on time today.”

“Correction,” Alex smiled at her, leaning against the fence with her palms pressed on the railing. “I’m early.”

Really, Alex had been at the fields for the past twenty minutes. For eighteen of those minutes, she was sitting in her car alternating between the tasks of busying herself with her phone and looking on the field to see if she could spot Tobin. After muttering to herself about sucking it up, she ran a hand through her hair before stepping out of the car and making her way to the fence, where Tobin approached. She decided to walk towards that direction wait for the right moment to speak.

“This must be a new concept for you,” the older woman teased, quirking an eyebrow. “You know, being early.”

Alex scoffed. “It was one time, okay? It usually never happens.” She couldn’t help but notice the way Tobin’s lips were slightly chapped as the other woman grinned again.

“Wasn’t a very good first impression for me,” Tobin pointed out, slightly leaning against the railing.

She’d never admit it to anyone right away, but she’d been thinking about Alex. After meeting her that one night, she often popped into Tobin’s mind at the most random times of the day. Something about Alex intrigued her. Alex seemed like an intriguing person, and it was more than just her looks. It was the way she exuded a type of confidence that wasn’t cocky, but also wasn’t shy. Her piercing blue eyes looked like they could make you feel like you were going to die, but when they were looking at Tobin they were a softer, less intense color that could pull anyone in. The list went on and on for Tobin.

“Who says first impressions are everything?” Alex challenged with a small smirk.

Both of Tobin’s eyebrows raised and she murmured, “Touche.”

The blue-eyed woman looked past Tobin to the field were the girls were still playing. “Don’t you have a practice you should be ending?” she asked sweetly, giving a small smile.

This caused the coach to blush and look down at the equipment bag momentarily. She’d completely forgotten about the team in the small amount of time she was talking to the other woman. “Telling me how to run my job, Alex?” she teased, a playful look in her eyes.

Alex laughed, causing Tobin to realize she liked that melodic rasp that escaped her lips. She also liked the fact that it was her that caused that sound to happen. “It doesn’t hurt to get some help,” she grinned.

“You’re ridiculous,” Tobin chuckled, shaking her head. With that, she walked back to her team, blowing the whistle to get their attention. She felt Alex’s eyes on her, watching her every move and Tobin did her very best to suppress the smile while she talked to the girls.

Alex saw Lucy standing in front of Tobin, listening half-heartedly to what her coach was saying. She offered a smile when her niece caught her eye, and then waited patiently for Tobin to finish. She couldn’t hear what the older woman was saying to the girls, but they all seemed to be mildly entertained. She noticed that Tobin managed to click with the girls in a way most adults didn’t. It was almost like she was friends with them while still being a coach and adult figure. Alex found it simply endearing.

“The kids love you,” Alex commented as Tobin made her way back over, hands shoved in her pockets.

The coach shrugged, a sheepish smile on her face. “I get along with them pretty well.”

Alex nodded in agreement, unable to help but notice how adorable Tobin looked with that expression. There was a smile on Alex’s face she was just unable to wipe off. “You really do.”

“We have a game this weekend,” Tobin told her, a foot away from the fence. “You should come.” Feeling like it was much to forward she added, “You know, to watch Lucy play.”

The blue-eyed woman’s smile only widened at the thought. She then pretended to think for a moment. “I think I can clear my schedule up this weekend.”

It elicited a chuckle from the other woman, much to Alex’s liking. Tobin quirked an eyebrow in a playful manner before asking, “Oh, I’m sorry, did you have plans that I so rudely intruded on?”

“There’s always room for my niece,” Alex replied, shaking her head with a laugh. She almost added “and I want to see you more often” but decided it was better off unsaid for now.

“So is being early going to be a regular thing for you now?” Tobin teased.

Alex scoffed with a soft smirk. “Don’t expect too much out of me, Tobin. Don’t want to let you down,” she winked.

“Hey Al,” Lucy greeted, her face red and her hair going in all different directions. Alex and Tobin couldn’t help but share a glance and chuckle at the girl. “What?” the teenger asked, looking from her aunt to her coach.

“Nothing,” Alex said quickly.

At the same time, Tobin answered, “Your face.”

The younger woman rolled her eyes, giving Tobin a light nudge. “Ready to go Luce?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry,” the girl complained, looking at Alex expectantly.

“We’ll get something to eat on the way home,” Alex promised.

As the exchange went on, Tobin took a moment to really look at Alex. She was breathtaking, really. It was hard not to look at her when she radiated beauty. She made Tobin’s stomach twist and that hadn’t happened in a really long time.

“What are you looking at?” Alex asked suddenly, snapping Tobin back to reality.

Tobin’s cheeks flushed and she looked away for a moment. “Nothing,” she said, clearing her throat. “You just…” she glanced to Alex’s side quickly to see Lucy was no longer there and was now trudging off to the car. “You’re beautiful, that’s all.”

It was Alex’s turn to blush at the compliment. She offered a small smile. “I’ll see you this weekend, Coach.”

Tobin couldn’t stop the big smile she gave in return. “See you, Alex. Don’t be late.”

The brunette laughed as she backed away to catch up with Lucy. “I’ll do my best.”


End file.
